Seithati Motsoeneng
Lesotho Post Bank has donated groceries to the Mo-Rate Cerebral Palsy Foundation?as part of its activities to celebrate?Lesotho’s?bicentenary?anniversary.
The bank is marking the anniversary?under the theme?‘Love thy neighbour as you love yourself’,
Mo-Rate Cerebral Palsy Foundation deals with people with conditions that affect movement and posture. Cerebral palsy is caused by damage to the developing brain, most often before birth. Symptoms appear during infancy or preschool years and vary from very mild to severe, with some individuals being bedridden for the rest of their lives.
The donation event took place at Memorial Hall on Friday. Among the donated items were diapers, washing powder, sorghum (mabele), and milk to support the parents.
Speaking at the event, Post Bank Chief of Sales, Mathabo Tšehlo, said out of the numerous requests they receive, the request from Mo-Rate Cerebral Palsy Foundation stood out as most deserving of their help.
“As a bank, we were touched by the foundation’s request, particularly due to the living conditions of the recipients. We felt compelled to offer a helping hand to the lives of parents and guardians of the children as part of answering one of the Prime Minister’s requests to ‘love thy neighbour’.”
She?said?most of the children present?were?heavily dependent on diapers and wheelchairs, which are expensive and often unaffordable for many families. Additionally, she?said?community service initiatives?were?an integral part of Post Bank’s daily operations,?which were?largely supported by Basotho.
In his vote of thanks, Mo-Rate’s chairman, Taelo Lejakane, expressed profound gratitude, stating that any assistance to parents?was?greatly appreciated due to the high maintenance needs of children living with cerebral palsy.
Mr Lejakane said due to their children’s conditions, parents?were?often unable to work as they must provide constant care.
“Unlike other parents, we buy nappies until some of our children pass away. They can’t chew hard food and require a strict, expensive diet,” Mr Lejakane noted.
He added that although some families received?government grants, the money?was?insufficient to cover all living costs. Many parents are frequently in hospitals because their children need regular check-ups and deal with various health complications.
On behalf of the parents, Mateboho Phakalatsane thanked Post Bank for the food parcels and nappies, which she said were essential for their children.
“This will lift a huge load off our shoulders since our children have many essentials that we can’t meet due to lack of income,” Ms Phakalatsane said.
She highlighted that they had?become full-time caregivers, often leaving their jobs, as no nanny could handle their children’s conditions.